Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-02-12

SO strong and SO complete that there can
eau BE- no doubt of the defendants com
mission of the act Briefly stated the
circumstances OF the crime sTe these
Some three or four years ago Berger the
defendant, seduced Adelja Huss. When
she found she was about 10 become a
mother, she with her mother and friends
insisted upon his msrryIng her, which he
refused TO do until threats of proceeding
for bastardy were made She was at that
time but sixteen years of age Shortly
after the marriage a child was born to
them. The defendant refused to live
with his wife. and she was obliged to
support herself BY working out il Daven-
port The child took sick and died. and
though the defendant was requested to
provide means for its burial and to come
and see it, he declined to do SO. He did
however 60 there one evening. and waits
ing until everybody had left the house,
crawled through the window. but in get
ting out was detected By his mother-in
law, who followed him and his lewd fe-
male companion, entreating him to re-
turn and provide for the burial of his
child, but he put her of and went ca
rousing with his companion.
The evidence as claimed by the prose
cutiop. will show numerous acts of
cruelty committed by the defendant upon
his wife, once in particular when he took
Ratchet and was going to
SPLIT HER HEAD OPEN.
That his abuse was Sd great that his wife
sought the advice of Police Magistrate
Bennett in regard 10 getting a divorce.
That upon July 31st last the defend
ant, who before that time had been work
ing in Muscatine, returned to Davenport
and searched for his wife; that be found
her and and they agreed TO come to Rock
Island and see about getting the divorce.
That as they were coming across the
government bridge about clock in the
evening, the night being dark, and
nobody being nearer than sixty feet, a
slight rustling of the iron network
forming the guard TO the footpath was
heard, scream and splash as of BODY
falling in the river, and cries for help as
the woman rose to the surface That the
defendant was Immediately taken in
custody by the guard of the bridge. and
denied any knowledge of who the woman
was and made several efforts TO escape.
After being taken to the armory in this
city, he is found washing bloodstains out
of bis shirt sleeves, caused as he claimed,
by bleeding of the nose, which the prose>
cution say was the result of the scuffie
with his wife ia throwing her over the
railing, the body of the deceased when
found showing number of cratches
about the face
The prosecution claim that the height
of the railing is such that it is an easy
matter and requires very little force to
throw person over the railing. and they
also expect to prove declarations of the
defendant short time previous to the
occasion, that unless he got a divorce
fIom his wife he would throw her into
the river They also expect to prove
his indifferent and heartless conduct at
the time of and Immediately after the
commission Of the crime. Anticipating
the supposed defense of suicide the prose
cution say that the love of life is SO in
herent in everyone that tie Prescriptions
are against 1t, and the defendant will
have the burden of proving this defense
if they make it.
THE DEFENSE.
This morning Maior Beardsley made 6
very lens thy opening statement for the
defense, commencing at about 0 anC